California adopts tough diesel emission standards
By Samantha Young Associated Press
Saturday, December 13, 2008

SACRAMENTO - California, a state plagued by smoggy skies and rising asthma rates, adopted the nation's toughest diesel emission standards Friday for the trucks and buses that crowd its highways.

The state Air Resources Board approved the rule despite warnings it could shut down many small trucking companies in the state. Many of them rely on the older, dirtier vehicles targeted by the change.
The regulation comes one day after the board adopted a sweeping plan to reduce the state's greenhouse gases, which is expected to change everything from the way factories operate to the fuel Californians put in their vehicles.

Starting in 2011, the diesel rules will speed up the replacement of thousands of polluting trucks and buses that typically stay on the road for decades and are not as clean as newer models that have tougher, federally mandated emissions standards.
Board chairwoman Mary Nichols said California has a legal obligation to clean up pollution and meet federal air standards. Failing to meet those targets could cost the state an estimated $2 billion in federal transportation funding.

Air regulators estimate the emissions standards would cost businesses, school districts and transit agencies $5.5 billion over 16 years.

Many trucking companies say they cannot afford to comply.

Ron Faulkner, president of Tulare-based Faulkner Trucking, estimated it would cost him $7 million to replace 26 of his 35 aging trucks by 2014. He said he doesn't know if he can afford it, since his company only turns a profit of $50,000 a year.

"I've worked hard to build this to where it's at and they're going to tear it down," he said.

Nearly a million vehicles will have to be replaced or retrofitted with smog traps, filters or cleaner-burning technology beginning in 2011. By 2014, all trucks must have soot filters, and by the time the rule is fully implemented in 2023, no truck or bus in California will be allowed to be older than 13 years unless it has equipment to cut nitrogen oxide emissions.

State officials said the compliance cost is outweighed by an estimated $48 billion to $69 billion in health benefits for Californians afflicted with illnesses caused by breathing diesel fumes.issedoff:

California used to be a great place to live. It is legislation such as this that has run so many companies just across the border to Nevada and Arizona. I can't help but wonder if they have chased more tax revenue out of the state from this type of laws than they are losing to the feds any way. These states need to start standing up to the feds and do what is right. There isn't any real proof that greenhouse gas exists yet they want to throw costly legislation onto an already plagued industry. There are already a lot of people who are avoiding California. Some have simply tired of all the hassle and being targeted by the government. There are a lot of trucks in California, but I can't help thinking that the cars do just as much or more to pollute the area as anything. Perhaps they should start planting trees to help clean the air. That would probably do more to clean the air than all of their wasted legislation. It might also help reduce the fires and landslides. In any case, it would make the place look better.

I agree GMAN. Im close to Oregon so I can just buy a lot there and register my truck there, for half the price, even my pick ups. My question to this is..what about ALLLLL the trucks that deliver and pick up in California.

ESPECIALLY the MEXICAN trucks they dont even have brakes. I know people like SWIFT and other big Companies here will leave, they wont survive otherwise.
And next will be all the heavy equipment.

What does Mary know and how did she get her job?

As for planting trees and other things-sure but here they are cutting police and firemans jobs. So they wont hire to plant a tree.

SO, SO WRONG!!! I need a fireman and police not the county workers leaning on their shovels and their supervisors with their $150k salaries. SO FKN stupid!

They could make it a volunteer effort to plant trees. They could also get all those politicians out digging holes and planting. It would keep them too busy to think of other nonsense that they need to pass to get into our pockets. I have a friend of mine who used to tag his vehicles in Oregon due to the high taxes in California. He owned several hot shots and a big truck. It saved him a lot of money. He had a relative who lived up there so it was fairly easy for him. These people don't have a clue how to run something. Their idea is to tax the devil out of everyone to raise more money. They don't understand that if they reduced taxes they could attract more businesses that will generate more jobs that will enable people to pay more taxes. It is a simple concept but apparently one doesn't need to have common sense or understand simple concepts to be elected to public office, especially in California.

Won't matter....... If you are an out of state carrier you will still need to comply with CARB.........

Next time Cali has an earthquake i hope the whole state would vanish in the ocean.The US would be better of with 49 states .The issue of taxes,regulation on trucking along with their three hugging gay agenda has run this state into the ground.If their governor is a ex movie actor no wonder the whole state still lives A MOVIE drama.Pathetic in every way you think of it!!!!

Yes I agree, The gays always get their way and YES they are heard. I just dont understand how they can do this because there are so many trucks coming into Ca all day long, everyday. What are they going to do with those trucks? Just another stupid law in Ca. issedoff:

For me, in the short range, the answer is simple. I no longer run CA. I'll go as far as AZ and NM, but CA is now off my map.

There will be a lot of carriers that will not be able to comply, and won't be running out there. Transportation within he state stands to be nearly crippled, and shipping in and out could nearly stop.

Sort of reminds me of the woman that insisted the "deer crossing" sign be moved from near her driveway. Too many deer were being hit there, and she wanted the deer to cross at some other location.

Someone in CA isn't thinking about the whole picture. I'd suggest a "WAKE-UP-CALL" for them, but try to get enough drivers to agree on that. We complain about the economy and bailout institutions, then pass legislation to strangle the economy even more. Victims of our own narrow-mindedness, aren't we.

Yep, here we are in a recession/depression and the government decides to raise taxes. Perhaps they should take this opportunity to reduce the government payroll.

I just want to know what kind of trucks this guy is running if they are costing him $269,230 each. I guess that's why he's showing $50k a year profit with 35 trucks.